11 Beauty Mistakes Most College Girls Make… But Shouldn’t!

College is hands down, among the most fun and exciting phases of our lives. And while we run around for classes and hang out with friends after, we must keep in mind that these are also the years we need to look after our skin and hair well. Bummer, right? Unknowingly, almost all girls in college are making some beauty mistakes that are playing havoc on their gorgeous skin and hair. Go on and read about these 11 common beauty mistakes many college girls are making, and make sure you don’t do the same.

1. Not drinking enough water

Many of us are guilty of this, aren’t we? Drinking 3-4 litres of water on a daily basis is absolutely imperative for healthy hair and skin. Not only will this flush out all the toxins from your body, but also keep your hair and skin well hydrated from within. Carry a water bottle with you at all times and sip away, ladies.

2. Not moisturizing

This is an absolute must. Once you wash your face and body, you must follow that up with a nice massage with a hydrating moisturizer. This will maintain the elasticity of the skin and keep it looking plump. As far as your hair goes, apply a nourishing serum or oil after your shower to ensure that the shampoo doesn’t dry out your tresses.

3. Giving sunscreen a miss

Be it a sunny or cloudy day, this is a thumbrule, ladies - you must apply sunscreen before heading out for the day. This will protect you from the harmful UV rays that end up damaging your skin beyond repair. Keep sunspots, premature aging and tanning at bay with a good SPF cream in your beauty kit.

4. Ignoring the rules of beauty sleep

It is when you’re fast asleep that your skin cells get repaired which is why you wake up looking fresh after a nice 7 to 9 hour sleep. Ensure that you go to bed on time and use a satin pillowcase that won’t strip your skin and hair of their moisture.

5. Not oiling your hair enough

Yes, some of them are smelly and a tad bit too sticky. These are clearly the reasons why many of us refrain from oil massages. While you run to college every day and spend lots of time under the sun, plus with all the pollution, your hair is bound to get damaged. Make sure you treat your hair to regular champis so that it looks lustrous, keeps damage at bay and stays healthy always.

6. Washing your hair too often/not often enough

Now this completely depends on your hair type, and is need based. If it tends to get oily too soon, wash it as and when you need to. But leaving any sort of oil buildup on your scalp or washing your hair too often, are both harmful for your tresses. Washing your hair more than you need to leads to dryness and damage of the tresses as that will strip your hair of all its moisture and natural oils. To be safe, don’t wash your hair more than twice a week, thrice at most.

7. The wrong water temperature in the shower

Washing your body and hair with hot water will cause more harm than you can imagine. Luke warm water in the winter, and room temperature water in the summer is ideal for a shower. Steaming hot water tends to dry out the skin and age it and leaves hair very dry and rough.

8. Not exfoliating regularly

College life is busy and any extra time devoted to skin care might seem irksome. However, ladies, if you want soft, smooth skin at all times, you must exfoliate at least once a week. A good homemade scrub or a store bought one should be used all over your face and body to slough off dead skin, and reveal clean, smooth, fresh-looking skin instantly.

9. Sleeping with your hair open

Most of us girls do this. We sleep with our hair open and wake up to a terribly tangled mane that is tough to manage. Make it a point to loosely plait your hair every night before going to bed. This will not only make your locks more manageable, but also prevent breakage and weakening of the hair as you toss and turn all night, every night.

10. Squeezing every other zit

There’s no denying that it is very tempting to pop a zit as soon as it appears. Ladies, let us tell you here, that there is nothing worse that you can do to your skin than this. This will inevitably lead to scarring and more redness and inflammation. Keep your hands off that zit, we say.

11. Not doing enough cardio

Cardio is important not just for your overall health, but the sweating also releases toxins from the body and results in healthy, glowing skin. There is a reason why the term ‘cardio glow’ exists, ladies. Go out for a run every day and say hello to healthy and happy skin.